Elevating-truck.



W. R. METZ.

ELEVATING TRUCK.

APPLICATION IILBD JUNI: 1o, 1912.

1,065,161, Patented June 17,1913.

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W. R. METZ.

ELEVATING TRUCK.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 1o, 191'2,

Patented June 1'?, 1913.

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a bottom plan view of the truck.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER R. METZ, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF l TO WILLIAM F. MAHONY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

ELEVATING-TRUCK.

T o all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER R. Merz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia., have invented new and useful Improvements in ElevatingfTrucks, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to trucks generally, either hander power operated, and particularly to-an elevating attachment o simple constructionforuseon trucks either built for the purpose or which may be in common use, the application of the mechanism to the ordinary truck being'easily performed with little or no change inthe structure of the truck.

The object `of this invention is to provide trucks, particularly hand trucks, with an elevating mechanism which, when not in use, lies flush with the top of the truck and out of the Way of injury, but on turning a crank shaft, the elevating mechanism is raised above the top or deck. By this means'materials to be trans orted can be piled on platformsv supported on skids, legs or other wise at a suitable height and the truck run under the platform. Then, by turning the crank shaft the elevating` mechanism raisedv and lifts the platform and its load from the skids or other supports whence the whole may be drawn to its destination and by a reverse rotation of the shaftthe plat# form and load will be lowered onto suitable 'supports provided for the purpose and the and arrangement of parts hereinafter 'described in detail, pointed out -in 'the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the elevating mechanism as applied to a truck, the truck being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sei-tional view on the line 4 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters are used to designate the same parts in all the figures, A. indicates a truck which may be a hand or power truck of any suitable type, a four-wheeled hand-drawn Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led June 10, 1912.

Patent-ed J une 17, 1913.

serial No. 702,815.

platform truck being shown in the drawing, the front and rear axles being secured to transverse bolsters 10 and 11 respectively, rigidly fastened to the platform Aor deck 12. Bolted or otherwise fastened on the inner side of each holster 10 and 11 are two guide bearings 13 in which are journaled transverse shafts 14 and 15, the shaft 14 mounted on the front bolster 10 and the shaft 15 'on the rearibolster 11. The guide bearings 13 are fastened on the holsters at any suitable distance from the sides of the platform 12, their exactlocation in 'this respect not being material. From each bearing 13 project two parallel plates or wing-s 16 that support the shafts 14 and 15 and between which plates or wings at each hearing is a pinion 17 fastened on the ends of the shafts.

'Mounted to slide vertically in each bearing 13 is an elevating standard 18 having a short rack 19 on one side adapted to mesh with the pinion lcarried in the saine bearing. Each standard projects 'upwardly through a hole 20 inthe platform 12 and is furnished on its upper end with a head 21, here shown in the forni of a disk` which heads when the standards are in their lower'- most position are seated in countersunk openings 22 in the platform so that the top surfaces. of the heads are Hush with the top of the platform and out of the way when the truck is loaded directly. Itis to be noted that when the standards 1S are in their lowest position, the racks 19 are below and out of engagement with the pinioiis 1T for a purpose to be, hereinafter described Extending longitudinally of., the truck from front to rear just below the platform 12 and at some point between the guide bearings 13, preferably about the center of the truck, is a horizontal shaft 23 y,mounted in bearings 24 bolted on the inne sides of the holsters 10 andll. Fastened on the shaft above the front shaft 1-1 is a worm 25 in engagement with a worin wheel 26 keyed on the shaft 14. A second worm 27 on the shaft 23 turns a worm wheel 28 keyed on'the rear cross shaft 15. The front worm and worin wheel are, preferably, left-hand-- ed and the rear worin and wheel right-handed so that when the shaft 23 is rotated by a crank 29 fitted on the squared end thereof. i

the shafts 1l and l5 and the pinions 17 will'- simultaneously. Should the shafts 14 and 1'5 be placed both on the front side or both on the rear side of the racks 1S, the" worms and worin wheels would be alike` as is vevident. i

AFrom practical experience, it has been found that. when the racks 19 are made sufficiently long to continue in mesh with the pinions 17, there is great liability, when lowering the standards 18, to continue turning the crank 29 after the heads 21 of the standards are seated and further movementof the standards prevented. This effort to continue the operation strained the mechanism and caused breakage of the teeth. For this reason the number of teeth inthe racks are limited to the absolute 'number required to raise the standards to la suitable height` and which willpass outof engagement with the pinions when lowered. Such beingrl thel case, when it is desired to elevate the standards, some means must be provided to start them so as to bring the racks into engagement with the pinions. simple one-and comprises a flat spring 30 fastened at o-ne end to the underside of the plat-form 12.adjac.ent each luide bearing 13, the opposite free end of said springprojecting toward the standard 18 and held under tension by a pin 31 in the side of the standard pressing downward on Said springT when the standard is lin its lowest posit-ion. The

tension of the springs tends to raise the standards, therefore, when the pinions are turned by means of the. crank shaftI and gearingin a direction to elevate the Standards, the latter will be lifted by the sprinfl's sutiicientiy high to cause the teeth of racks 19 to engage the 'teeth of the pinion.

Attention is again directed to the fact that ran l'ordinary four-wheeled platform truc-k can be quickly and easilyfchang'ed to an elevatingor vertical lift truck b v boring four holes in the platform vfor the standards. holes in' the holsters for the longitudinal shaft and fasteningr the several bearings in the positions shown: and furtl'iermore, a truck so changed may be continued in use asia-platform truck by keeping the standards 18 lowered with their tops iush with.

the top of the platform.

This means is a lVhat I claim is:

1. Combined with a truck having' a flattop, a plurality of standards adapted to be moved in a vertical longitudinal direction 'above the top of the truck from a position flush with said top', meansl for raising and lowering said standards simultaneously, said means bein;T automatically disconnected from the Standards when the latter reach.

their lowest position, and means for engaginnv said standards with' the elevating meehanisin.

2. Combined with a truck having a flat top. a plurality of vertically disposed standards each having a load supporting end adapted to lie Hush with the top of the truck and be raised above said top, a rack on each standard, a. pinion adapted to engage each rack, means for simultaneously rotating said pinions to raise and lower the standards uniformly, said racks becoming` disengaged from the pinions when fully lowered, said racks with their pinions to raise the standards.

Combined with a truck having a plat.- form top, a plurality of standards movable longitudinally and vertically through openings therein, each standard havinggan enlarged upper end arranged to seat vin a depression in said platform Hush with itsupper surface, a short rack on each-standarda transverse shaft mounted in bearings at the front and rear of the platform, pinions on said shafts adapted to engage said racks to raise and lower the standardsbut normally disengaged from the racks when said standards are in their lowcrmost position, a lonlsritudinal operating;y shaft, worm gearing be.- tween the longitudinal and transverse shafts, a projection en each standard, and a sprintr finger engaging said projection to raise the standard and engage the rack with its pinion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit,-

nesses.

VALTER R. METZ. iVitnesses:

M. J. Molxnnxnv, VM. F. MAHONY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five 'cents each,.by addressing the Commissioner of Washington, D. C.

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